Chemical process catalysts: Movement

How catalyst pellets travel from Europe to Asian plants

What this tab covers How it moves between countries: share of output traded, physical form and transport, the largest exporters and importers, main routes, India's trade, and handling rules in transit.

Trade in 2024 UN Comtrade, HS 381590

World exports $4.45 bn 95 reporting exporters · about 886k t Largest exporter United States 26.4% of world exports Largest importer Thailand 10% of world imports India imports $198.8 m
exports $105.1 m #8 importer · #9 exporter

Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows

Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, HS 381590: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.

HS 381590: largest exporters

Country	Share	Value (US$)	Tonnes
United States	26.4%	$1.17 bn	250k
Germany	23.8%	$1.06 bn	313k
Japan	7.7%	$343.4 m	13k
China	6.3%	$280.8 m	53k
Netherlands	5.7%	$255.5 m	65k
United Kingdom	4.9%	$219.0 m	–
Denmark	2.8%	$124.4 m	11k
Italy	2.4%	$108.6 m	15k

HS 381590: largest importers

Country	Share	Value (US$)	Tonnes
Thailand	10%	$454.0 m	31k
China	9.4%	$427.0 m	–
United States	6.8%	$308.3 m	60k
South Korea	6.8%	$307.6 m	62k
Saudi Arabia	5.7%	$259.9 m	16k
Indonesia	5.5%	$251.1 m	–
Germany	4.5%	$204.1 m	39k
India	4.4%	$198.8 m	–

UN Comtrade 2024, reported by each country (exports by exporters, imports by importers), all partners. Some countries (for example Russia and Iran) do not report, so their shares are missing. HS codes can be broader than the tile: check the code before reading a share as the whole market.

How it moves

Measure	Figure
Share traded	high; manufacture concentrated in Europe, the US and China (indicative)
How it moves	Shaped pellets and rings in drums and big bags by container; precious-metal catalysts by secure freight
Routes and chokepoints	Denmark, Germany, UK and US to Asia and the Middle East.
India	HS 381590: India imported $199 million (4.4% of world imports, rank 8) and exported $105 million (2.4% of world exports, rank 9) (UN Comtrade 2024).
Handling in transit	Pre-reduced nickel and copper catalysts can be pyrophoric (UN2881, class 4.2); others not regulated.